Objective

This study examines the relationship between sex trading and psychological distress and the implications of that relationship for prevention of human immunodeficiency virus among a sample of young women recruited from the streets of Harlem.

Methods

Interviews were conducted with 346 predominantly drugusing women, aged 18 to 29 years, of whom 176 had exchanged sex for money or drugs in the previous 30 days and were categorized as « sex traders. » Psychological distress was measured by using the Brief Symptom inventory.

Results

Sex traders scored significantly higher than non-sex traders on the General Severity Index and on eight of the nine subscales of the Brief Symptom Inventory.